Apparatus for pumping wells



Sept. 18, 1934.

W. l.. CHURCH APPARATUS FOR PUMPING WELLS Filed April l, 1933 Patented Sept. 18, 1934 APPARATUS Fon PUMPING WELLS Walter L. Church, Houston, Tex., assiguor of onehalf to Ed W. Pearce, Harris County, Tex.

Application April 1, 1933, Serial No. 663,883

6 Claims. (Cl. A10S-234) This invention :relates to an apparatus for pumping wells.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel apparatus for introducing an operating uid, under pressure, into a well and for discharging said uid into the liquid in the well in stages from above downwardly as the normal liquid level in the well may require.

Another object is to provde, in apparatus of l@ the character described, an eduction tube to be located in the well and having spaced valves arranged along the tube, to be submerged in the liquid in the well, with means for manually manipulating the tube to control said valves and there- 515 by control the inlet ofan operating iiuid, under A pressure, into the tube at selected levels to expel the well lquid through said tube from the well. Another object is to provide novel means for controlling the application of the operating uid to the loads of liquid in the well whereby. the operatng iiuid may be appliedsuccessively to the liquid, as the same collects in the well, to expel the liquid from the well.

up With the above and other objects in view this u@ invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accom-v panying drawing, wherein:- 3@ Figure 1 shows a vertical sectional view of the apparatus.

Fgu're 2 shows an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the eduction tube showing the valve therein. 35 Figure 3 shows a plan view, partly in section,

of the fluid controlling mechanismand Figure 4 shows a cross sectional view thereof taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 3. Referring now more particularly to the draww ing, wherein like numerals of reference designate kr parts in each of the gures the numeral 1 designates the well casing having the casing head 2 on the top thereof. This casing head has a lateral ow line 3 controlled by the gate valve 4. There is awell tubing 5 located in the well to the lower end of which a perforated pipe, or` well screen, 6 may be attached. At the lower end of the tubing 5 there is an upwardly openng stand- `ing valve 7 which controls the inlet of the oil, or other liquid in the well, intosad tubing. This standing valve has surrounding'packing which forms a tight seal with the tubing and also has the upstandng valve cage 8. 55'.' There is suitable packing 9 .which forms a fluid tight seal between the casing head 2 and the tubing 5 and said tubing may be suspended from the cas'ng head 2 by the slips 10 in the usual manner.

In the tubing 5 there is an eduction tube 11 whose lower end may rest on the cage 8 and 6.0 may be provided with the inlet openings 12. The upper end of the tube 11 has the downwardly opening cup rings 13, or other packing, which t closely within the upper end of the tubing 5. Above said packing 13 the tube 11 is emerged and 65 provided with the coarse external threads 14 which intermesh with similar internal threads of the split nut 15. 'rms nut 15 has a swiveuing connection with vthe head 16 which surrounds the tube 13 and is attached to the upper end of 79 the tubing 5. The nut may be turned in any suitable manner, as for example, by the handles 17.' y l The upper end of the eduction tube terminates in a discharge line 18 through which the elevated 75 liquid may be delivered to a selected point.

The eduction tube has the inlet valves 19 arranged at spaced intervals therealong. These valves may be of any desired construction so as to be opened and closed by an appropriate movement of the eduction tube. As shown they are connected into the tube between adjacent sections thereof. A sectional coupling 20 orming a valve casing may be connected to one end of one section and a tubular valve member 21 may be connected to the adjacent end of the other of said sections, said valve member telescoping into the casing 20 and being formed with an enlarged head which fits closely into said casing 20. The casin 20 has an annular, inwardly extending ange 2 which engages said head toprevent the separation of saidcasing from said valve member. The casing and valve member have the radial openings 23, 24 which register when the casing 20 and valve member 21 are relatively moved in to one pomtion to admit the operatingfluld into the eduction tube. When said casing 20 and valve member 21' are relatively movedv to another position said openings 23, 24 will be moved out of registration and the operating fluid will be ex 100 eluded from the eduction tube. This relative movement-is limited by the flange 22 and the internal annular stop 25 in the casing 20, spaced from said flange. The neck of the valve member 21 may have a spline 26 which is received by a keywayl 2'1 in the flange 22 whereby the casingl 20 and valve member-21 are prevented from turning relative to each other, and the openings 23, 24 maintained in proper alignment.

It often becomes n to manipulate the 11 eduction tube as a unit. This is true when the tube is being lowered into a crooked hole or in cases where the eduction tube may be used for the purpose of setting a packer between the eduction tube and outer tubing and for other similar purposes while going into or coming out of the well.

An operating fluid, such as air or gas under compression, is admitted into the upper end-of the tubing 5 beneath the packing 13 through the line 28. Incorporated into the line 28 there is a valve casing 29 which has the inlet chamber 30 and the discharge vchamber 31,` said chambers bengseparated by the hood-like partition 32. This partition has the aligned tapering Valve seats 33, 34 which are controlled by the tapering valves 35, 36 xed on the stem 37. When these valves are closed the operating iluid, under pressure, in

l der 40 thus permitting the spring 41 to close theA the chamber 30 will act `against theopposite, exposed ends of the valves and will partially balance the valves so that they may be easily opened.

The stem 37 works through a stuing box 38 in the casing 29 and attached to its outer end there is a plunger 39 which works in the cylinder 40. A spring 41 in the cylinder 401` operates against the plunger 39 and normally tends to maintain the 'valves `35, 36 closed. A by pass line 42 leads from the main line 28, out beyond the valve casing 29, and Ais connected into the cylinder 40 on the side of the plunger' 39 opposite the spring 41. With the by pass line 42 open a portion of the operating i'luid will enter the cylinder 40 and' act against the plunger 39 to hold the valves 35, 36 open and the operating fluid will then ilow on through the line 28 into the tubing 5 and pressure will be-built up in said tubing.

Incorporated into the by pass line 42 there is a valve casing 43 having an internal tapering valve seat 44 therein and the three way valve 45 is seated in said seat and is held seated by the spring 46. The valve 45 has a stem 47 xed thereto which works through a bearing in the casing 43 and which has a star wheel 48 xed thereon. When the valve 45 is turned into one position one of the oblong inlet openings 49 thereof will register with the inlet leg of the line 42 and the yoperating fluid will pass through said opening 49 and through the axial passageway 50, of the valve, and on to the cylinder 40. The other openings 49 of the Valve 45 will be closed when the ilrst mentioned opening 49 is in registration with the inlet leg of the by pass line 42. When the valve 45 is turned to carry said opening 49 out of such registration with the inlet leg of the line 42 the operating uid to the cylinder 40 willbe cut off and one of the other openings 49 will be registered with the relief outlet 52 through the casing 43 and the operating iiuid will be relieved from the cylinvalves 35, 36. A

There is a conventional chronometer mechanism, or clock Works designated generally by the numeral 53 and having a main driving shaft 54- on which is ilxed a disc 55. This disc may have any desired number of removable pins 56 arranged to successively engage the teeth of the star wheel 48 and to actuate the star wheel to open and close the valve 45. 'Ihe pins 56 may be so spaced that the valve 45 when opened will be permitted to remain open for a predetermined length of time and then closed. The clock works may be operated by a spring, weights or may be electrically driven. p

In operation the apparatus may be installed in a well as illustrated in Figure 1 and the eduction tube supported from the bottom with all of the valves 19 open. 'I'hese valves should all be submerged in the liquid in the well or if the normal level of the liquid in the well is not high enough to submerge all of said valves 19 the nut 15 should be turned to move the upper sections of the eduction tube 11 upwardly until the valves 19 above the liquid are closed. At this time the clock works 53 should be-stopped with' the valve 45 closed and the operating iluid will be forced into the tubing 5 and the pressure will be built up and will operate against the liquid in the tubing and will force the liquid above into the upper valve 19 which is open and the liquid in, and forced into, the eduction tube will be expelled from the well. Should the iniiow of liquid into the well equal the outow the expulsion of the liquid will continue at a uniform rate but should be inflow of fluid into the well exceed the outflow there will be an increase of pressure of the operating iluid which will be reflected by the pressure gauge 57 which is connected into the line 28 between the valve casing 29 and the tubing 5. In case of an excessive inilow the next succeeding valve 19 above should be opened by lowering the eduction tube above so as to decrease the head pressure. It the inow of fluid into the Well is less than the outilow from the pump the level of the liquid will be gradually lowered and the upper valve 19 which is open will be uncovered and the eduction tube should be lowered from above to close saiduncovered valve and the liquid will then be forced into the eduction tube through the next succeeding valve beneath and so on until the inflow and I outow of.liquid is properly balanced and until an approximately uniform flow and uniforml pressure are attained.

It may be that the well will not have a production capacity suflicient to maintain a continuous flow. In "such case the liquid may be discharged by heads. In order to accomplish this the clock works 53 should be started and the valve 45 will be alternately opened and closed. When this valve is opened the operating fluid will be admitted to cylinder 40 and the valves 35, 36 will also be opened to admit the operating fluid into the tubing 5 and when the valve 45 is closed the operating luid will be relieved from the cylinder 40 and the valves 35 and 36 will close to shut off the operating fluid from said tubing 5. While the operating uid is so shut oi the liquid will collect in the well and will enter the eduction tube through the ports 12 and through the lower valve or valves 19 which are open. When the valve 45 is again opened the operating uid will be admitted into the tubing 5 as before to expel the collected load of liquid. The length of time required for the collection of a load of liquid in the well may be readily ascertained and the operation of the valve 45 may be timed accordingly by suitably spacing the pins 56. For example if the disc 55 turns one complete revolution each hour and a load of liquid collects in the well each fifteen minutes the pins which actuate the star wheel 48 to open the valve 45 may be spaced apart a fourth of the distance around said disc so that the valve 45 will be opened and the operating uid admitted into the tubing 5, each quarter of an hour. It will usually require much less time to expel the load than it does to collect a load of liquid in the well, so that other pins 56 should be so located that the star wheel will be successively actuated to close the valve 45 at the required time after the opening thereoiI so as to shut oi the operating iluid from the well when the -load has been completely expelled, to permit the collection of the next succeeding load before said valve 45 is again opened.

The drawing and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred form of the invention by way of illustration only while the broad principle of the invention will be dened by the appending claims.

What I claim is:-

1. In combination in tubing in a well, an eduction tube in the well tubing formed of sections, means rfor introducing an operating lluid into said well tubing about the eduction tube, spaced inlet valves on the eduction tube arranged to be successively closed from above downwardly by manipulation of the eduction tube longitudinally, means to prevent the independent rotation of said sections and means closing the space between said tubing and eduction tube above and beneath said valves.

2. In combination a well tubing in a well, an eduction tube in the well tubing formed-of sections and having inlet ports spaced apart along the eduction tube, valves arranged to be actuated by the relative longitudinal movement of the sections of the eduction tube to close said ports from above downwardly, means to prevent the relative rotation of the sections, means above and beneath said valves for closing the space between the well tubing and the eduction tube and means for introducing an operating fluid, under pressure, into said closed space.

3. In combination an outer pip'e and an inner pipe in a well bore, said inner pipe being formed of sections and having inlets spaced apart therealong, valves arranged to control said inlets and to be successively opened upon independent movement of the sections of the inner pipe in one direction, means preventing the relative rotation of said sections and to be successively closed upon movement of the inner pipe in another direction and means for manually manipulating said inner pipe.

4. In combination an outer pipe and an inner pipe in a well bore, said inner pipe being formed of sections and having inlets spaced apart therealong, valves arranged to control said inlets and to be successively opened upon relative movement of the inner pipe sections in one direction and to be successively closed upon relative movement of the inner pipe sections in another direction, means for manipulating said inner pipe, means for preventing the relative rotation of said sections, means for closing the space between said inner and outer pipes above and beneath said valves and means for introducing an operating uid under pressure-into said closed space.

5. Apparatus for expelling liquid from a well comprising in combination a well casing, a well tubing in the casing, means sealing the space between the top of the 4casing and the tubing, a standing valve controlling the inflow -of liquid into the lower end of the tubing, an eduction tube in the well tubing and-continuing out of the well and formed of sections, said eduction tube having spaced inlet openings in the well, valves arranged to close said openings in succession from above downwardly upon the upward movement of said eduction tube in the well, means for preventing the relative rotation of said sections, means for closing the space between the well tubing and eduction tube above and beneath the-valves and means for-supplying an operating fluid, under pressure, to said space.

6. Apparatus for expelling liquid from a well comprising in combination a well casing, a well tubing in the casing, means sealing the spacebe- Y tween the top of the casing and the tubing, a standing valve controlling the inow of liquid into the lower end of the tubing, an eduction tube in the well `tubing and continuing out of the well and formed of sections, said eduction tube having spaced inlet openings in the well, valves arranged to close said openings in succession upon the longitudinal adjustment of said eduction tube, means arranged to prevent the relative rotation, but to permit the relative longitudinal adiustment, of

said sections, means for manually adjusting said eduction tube to control said valves, means for closing the space between the well tubing and eduction tube above andbeneath the valves and means for supplying an operating uid, under pressure, to said closed space.

WAL'I'ER L. CHURQH. 

